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[Malek Pallie]

Hi all!

I have not been able to find a definitive answer on this using the search, so here we go!

A mid sized venue which I work with from time to time is looking to purchase some 4888s from a local production company. We want to keep their existing DSP (a BLU-80 with 2 BLU-BOB2) and old Macro Tech amps for now. Just wondering, can we load the V5 4888 presets on the BLU-80, or are we limited to V4 with their current DSP?

The plan is to eventually get I-TECHHD if the Blu-80 can't do v5, or to get new "dumb" amps (Macro Tech i) if the BLU-80 can do V5 as the second phase of the upgrade.

Perhaps I should mention that the current rig is a a passive VRX system (two meain hangs of 4 each and 2 delays hangs of 3 each with old ground stacked Apogee 18" subs).

   

[Tim McCulloch]

No.

[David Sturzenbecher]

No.

If you want V5, you need to go HD.

Unless you can reverse engineer the FIRs....to which I say...good luck.

[Malek Pallie]

Thanks guys!

[Jim McKeveny]

Are the I-Tech HD's similar to previous I-Tech's  in that they pour off lots of heat at idle?

The unavailability of v5 outside of HD is a big facesmack towards existing customers. The operational core of previous gen amplifiers is still quite within expected lifespan, but the bundled DSP (with a far faster obsolescence rate) becomes the de facto value timebomb/trojan horse.  Not cool, and would make me look elsewhere on the next fat purchase.

...and it isn't particularly green.

[TJ (Tom) Cornish]

Are the I-Tech HD's similar to previous I-Tech's  in that they pour off lots of heat at idle?

The unavailability of v5 outside of HD is a big facesmack towards existing customers. The operational core of previous gen amplifiers is still quite within expected lifespan, but the bundled DSP (with a far faster obsolescence rate) becomes the de facto value timebomb/trojan horse.  Not cool, and would make me look elsewhere on the next fat purchase.

...and it isn't particularly green.

ITHD have an idle current of about 250 watts when the amp is running with no signal.  After I believe 1 minute, the amp goes to sleep, and power draw drops to very little, until signal is applied.  Compared to a conventional design, there is a lot of idle current, however the ITHD starts to outpace other models for efficiency when actually running anywhere near their rating, meaning more amplifiers per distro, etc.  Sleep mode takes care of some of the issues, though I suppose during speech parts of the program, they may draw more power than other amp designs.

V5 presets use DSP features not present in original ITechs.  I do not know if any other Harmon-owned designs (BSS, DBX, etc.) are capable of the FIR operations necessary.  I heard a rumor that they were thinking about the BLUs, but that apparently hasn't happened yet.

I'm not sure if adding DSP generally means a shorter life.  Certainly ITHD came out fairly quickly after original IT, but I don't know that it constitutes a general trend, or just the way the market happened to work.  It is certainly possible that some type of digital networking - Dante, etc. will be the next killer feature.

[Jim McKeveny]

I'm not sure if adding DSP generally means a shorter life. 

I was alluding to the fact that the early obsolescence of onboard DSP  (relative to amplifier lifespan) in original I-Tech's, coupled with the unavailability of V5 presets outside of the HD platform is at least mildly coercive.

[Rob Spence]

I was alluding to the fact that the early obsolescence of onboard DSP  (relative to amplifier lifespan) in original I-Tech's, coupled with the unavailability of V5 presets outside of the HD platform is at least mildly coercive.

Well, they are in the business of selling new stuff.
 And, it is ok to keep using the V4 settings since they were ok a couple of years ago.
Then perhaps they figure if you can afford the rig that will benifit from the new settings and you have the client base, cycle the amps and sell the DSP and you have a new system at a modest (for this level of the stratus) cost.


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[Tim McCulloch]

Well, they are in the business of selling new stuff.
 And, it is ok to keep using the V4 settings since they were ok a couple of years ago.
Then perhaps they figure if you can afford the rig that will benifit from the new settings and you have the client base, cycle the amps and sell the DSP and you have a new system at a modest (for this level of the stratus) cost.


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We'll be replacing ITechs with ITHD.  They can emulate the DR4800 processing in the originals and run v4.2 until we have enough HDs to power a given rig with v5.

I'm estimating we'll get another 5 years out of the VerTec rigs, and when we're ready to add VTX we'll have the amps to do it.

[David Sturzenbecher]

Tim, are you looking at the four channel guy or the original HDs?


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